Apparatus for treating wet raw materials in the manufacture of cement



Oct. 15,' 1929. J, s, FAsTlNG 1,731,457

APPARATUS FOR TREATING WET RAW MATERIALS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CEMENT Filed NOV. 30, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 llV VEN TOR @fda @5% Oct. l5, 1929. J. s, FAsTlNG 1,731,457

APPARATUS FOR TREATING WET RAW MATERIALS IN THE KANUFACTURE OF CEMENT Filed Nov. 50, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 A o Izgq Fil-gf.' 2 f S l j /j y 'u /I/ Oct. l5, 1929. J. s. FAsTlNG APPARATUS FOR TREATING WET RAW MATERIALS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CEMENT Filed Nov. 30, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOI? A URNEKS Oct. l5, 1929. J. s. FAsTlNG 1,731,457

APPARATUS FOR TREATING WET RAW MATERIALS IN THE MANUFACTURE 0F CEIENT Filed Nov. so, 192s 5 sheets-sheet 4 Figi 8.

IN VE N TUR WM kfw @mv WWII m 96m@ Oct. 15, 1929. J. s. FAsTlNG 1,731,457

` APPARATUS FOR TRETING WET RAW MATERIALS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CEIENT Filed Nov. 30, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 15, 1929 UNITED STA-TES PATENT OFFICE JOHAN S. FASTING, OF VALBY, NEAR COPENHAGEN, DENMARK APPARATUS FOR'TBEATING WET BAW `:MATERIALS IN TYHE MANUFACTURE 0F CEMENT Application med'November l30, 1923, Serial No. 677,617', and in Denmark December 22, 1.988.

The present invention relates to the drying and burning in rotary kilns of wet raw materials, such as cement slurry, in such a way that the main advantages of the two known methods of making cement, for example, the wet method and the dry method, are attained simultaneousl that is, the raw material` can be prepare in a wet state whereas the burning or clinkering can take place in a kiln arranged for the dry process. The s ecial advantages are that on the one hand y preparing the raw materials wet an absolutely homogeneous product of the right composition is secured, and that on the other hand the dry kiln used can be shorter than is required for burning wet material, a saving in coal or an increase in output or both being obtained. Y

The commonly`l used method of burning 2" wet raw material requires a kiln of greater length than is suggested here, that is, besides the heating zone, the calcinin zone, and the burning zone, a drying zone or the F evaporation of the water contained in the 3" raw material must be provided for and a. kiln of this descri tion may under certain circumstances invo ve considerable loss of heat. It has been attempted to explain the necessity of having a. longer kiln for wet burning than for dry burning-by the fact that the products of combustion `will require longer time for effectively actin upon the wet material, such as slurry, to ge especially because the pressure of the'steam formed in the materialto bei burnt .willpre vent the hot products of combustion `rdm penetrating into the same, and the hot products of combustion consequently, will o'nly act quite supericially. The loss of heat mentioned above and which under certain conditions arises in thev usual wet burning of material inthe form of slurry is partly due to the fact that the steam formed will wastefully take up heat from the flue gases' in bein f superheated to the tem erature of the pro ucts of combustion. f the raw material could give ot its steam tothe atmosphere directly instead of to the flue of heat could be avoided.

According to the present invention the calcined,

gases such loss the kiln at a suitable temperature instead steam developed in the dryin of the wet material is developed outside o the kiln or of the heating zone of the kiln and the'loss of heat in raising. the temperature of the steam is avoided and the hot gases 've olf their 55 heat directly to dry material instead of to the wet and thereby deliver the quantity of heat required to the material to, be burnt in a far shorter length of the kiln than is otherwise possible. o

In accordance with the invention, the transmission of the heat in the gases to the wet material for drying the same is effected indirectly or outside of the heating zone by means of bodies which are themselves heated by the hot gases from the zone in the kiln Where the carbonic acid is driven out and are then brought into direct contact with the wet material so thatin this way such bodies act as a heat-transmitting intermediary; these bodies may be of metal or other material or they may consist of artificial stone or the like, or they may be part of the dried and heated raw material itself.

The influence of the heat-transmitting bodies upon the wet material may accordin to circumstances be effected in the kiln itsel but outside of the heating zone, the bodies f being in that case fed into the upperor feeding end of the kiln together with the raw material, or in a separate chamber outside the kiln which receives the wet material. This arrangement affords the advantage that all steam fbrmed is set free at a tem erature of only about 100" C.,whereb any oss of heat 85 from the roducts of combustion by superheatinfr ofp steam is avoided,A and further affords the advatage that the products of combustion froi'tl`1-kiln are kept erfectly free of moisture while the lsteam itse f is kept free of products of combustion, and the heat of the latter thereby can very easily be utilized for any desired urpose. Y,

If a separate rying device is used outside of theV kiln in connection with the bodies for transmitting the heat, the dried raw meal from the drying device can to advantage-be separated and taken directly to a point in of being returned together with the bodies 100 the arrows. f-

- raw material, in this instance in the formA to the gas outlet of the kiln. In this latter case it is also ossible to provide that this end of the kiln s all be kept filled with bodies throughout 'its cross sect1onthe bodies thus also acting as a filter for the dust formed in the products of combustion from the tinished product, this filtering capacity beingr so much more increased if the bodies are moistened beforehand. A filter as described, formed by the heat-transmitting bodies, may also be arranged outside of the rotary kiln proper, as in la shaft or chamber through which the hot gases from the rotary kiln are led. Froni this shaft or chamber the bodies will pass downinto the drying device, where they .effect the drying of the slurry. However, part of the bodies may be taken to another shaft or chamber, which may then be used as a recuperator for transmitting the heat from the gases taken up by the bodies to a nicdium'which is led through this latter shaft or chamber to be utilized in different ways, say as preheated air to support combustion in the kiln proper or for aboiler.

The arrangement may also be such that the heat-transmitting bodies are led to the recuperator not directly from the heating haft or chamber but from the drying cham- When theproducts of combustion are sufliciently hot a lowering of their highest temperature .may be utilized in various ways before they are l,used for heating the bodies, say in a recu erator, a. boiler plant, etc.

Several em odiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanyu'ng drawings, in which y Figs. I, II and III illustrate in longitudinal section three different forms of apparatus in which theinvention'inay be practiced.

Fig. IV is a Aviewi'n'elevation of'another form of apparatus.

Figs. V, VI, VII anti YIILillustrate in longitudinal section ouijwother forms of apparatus.

Figure IX is a. detail View showing the screening device indicated at 10 in Fig. VII and taken on line- 919A of this figure.

Figure X-'is a view in section of the kiln and lifters only ltaken on line l0-10 of Figure III and looking in the `direction of Figure XI is l a sectionv en on line 11-11 of Figure IV; lookingm the direction of the arrows and showing only the kiln, lifters, heating chamber, and stack. l

In the apparatus shown in Fig. I, the wet of slurry, is introduced into'the upper end of the kiln 1, through a hopper f2 from a. supply pipe 3. Theend ofthe kilnis enclosed in a dust chamber 4 from which the products of combustion pass into the chimney. At some distance from the end of the kiln, for instance where the temperature in the slurry. This exceedingly hot material will then effect a very quick evaporation of thei water in the slurry, without substantial loss of heat through superheating of the steam which is developed. The kiln is provided with a check ring 9, and the evaporation will principally take place between this ring and the outlet end of the kiln so that the heating of the material 6 beyond 100 C. will set in when the material has passed the said ring.

As the drying chamber thus formed is at the extremity of the kiln and the steam developed passes directly from the kiln, no heat is wasted through absorption in the steam.

In the form of apparatus shown in Fig. II the dr ing of the slurry is not 'effected in the end o the kiln as in the form of apparatus shown in Fig. I but in a separate chamber 10 outside of the kiln, the arrangement being otherwise the same. The chamber 10 receives the slurry fromy the pipe 3 and the heated material under treatment which escapes through the openings 5 in the kiln shell. The two materials that is,v the slurry and the already heated material, being thus brought into intimate contact with each other, are then moved through the chamber 10 by a conveyor 11 to the elevator 8 and thence to the feeding hopper 2.

This latter arrangement possesses, among others, the advantage that the products of combustion passing on the chamber 4 are perfectly free from steam, since all the steam leaves the chamber 10 through the chimney 12. The gases of combustion are therefore not only very hot but also absolutely free from water,f and the loss of heat in super-heating the steam is avoided. The heat 1n the steam can easil be utilized due to the fact that the steam is ree from the gases of combustion.

In the form of apparatus shown in Fig. III, which inthe main is the same as that shown in Fig., II, the drying chamber surrounds the end ortion of the kiln, the chamber consitsing o an enclosed s pace 13 through (which the kiln end extends right to the chamber 4.l The outside'of` the shell'within this chamber is provided with inclined shovels 14'which at 'the bottom of the chamber 13 act as conveyonsmoving the heated m'aterial e which-fuis through the openings 5 together with ltheslurry fed thr'oug the pipe 3 into a pit 15 in the .rear end of the chamber yfrom which pit `the dried material is aglin introduced into the kiln through li ers 16.

The form of apparatus shown in Fig. IV corresponds in the main to that in Fi III, with the exception that as shown in Flg. IV the dryin chamber surrounding the end portion of t e kiln in this case consists of a drum 17 which rotates together with the kiln proper. The slurry is fed through the pipe 3 to a pit 18 from which by means of shovels or li ters 19 it is lifted into the drying chamber between the kiln 1 and the drum 17. The steam developed in the drying chamber is discharged into a stationary chamber 20 surrounding the extreme end of the dryig drum 17 and from the chamber 20 the steam escapes through the chimney 12.

The form of apparatus shown in Fig. V is a modification of that shown in Fig. II, Fig. V likewise showing a drying chamber 10 outside of the kiln into which the slurry is introduced through the pipe 3 together with heated material discharged through the openings 5 in the shell of the kiln, but the drying chamber 10 in this present case is shown as a rotary drum to the discharge end of which a screening device 21 is connected. An apparatus of this latter description is intended to be operated in a somewhat different manner, in that it is not the heated raw material roper which is led from the kiln throughtlib drying chamber for the purse ofdrying the wet raw material but gdies 22 which are constantly being fed throu h the upper end of the kiln and there heated by the hot ases. 'This is the reason why the screening rum 21, or its equivalent, has been added, said drum effecting a separation between the named heat-transmitting bodies 22 (which by means of the lifting device 8 are introduced anew into the kiln) on the one side, and the dried-mainly pulverized-raw material on the other side which passes down into a hopper 23 arranged under the screening` drum and thence, by means of suitable conveyor devices 24 in the drawing indicated by a broken line) is taken to a chamber 25. This latter chamber surrounds the kiln a little to the left of or below the openings 5 through which the heat-transmittin bodies 22 leave the kiln, a check ring 26 eing provided for preventing them from assing into the burning zone of the kiln. From the chamber the dried raw material by means of devices 27 is introduced into the burning zone. Y

Fig. VI shows a form of apparatus which is likewise arranged for the use of special bodies as heat-transmitting means, that is, for conveyinglthe heat of the flue gases to the slurry in a c amber 10 outside of the kiln. In the main, the arran ement is the same as that shown in Fig. but the apparatus shown in Fig. VI provides for such a great charge of special heating bodies 22 that they will ll the whole cross section of the kiln end, being prevented from falling out through the gas outlet end of the kiln by means of a grate 28 and from passing into the burning zone of the kiln by means of another grate 29 with an outlet device 30. By this arrangement the gases will be very much cooled down, so that the same economy is attained as by burning in a vertical kiln.

It will be observed as a further advantage that special heating bodies will act as a filter for the smoke gases, retaining the finished cement dust and the unburnt particles of coal present in the gases, which will next pass into the drying chamber from which they are returned to the kiln.

The same main idea is the basis of the'apparatus shown in Fig. VII, but in a somewhat altered form, the heating of the foreign bodies 22 in this latter case taking place in a vertical shaft or chamber 31 which receives the hot gases from the outlet end of the kiln 1. The bottom of the shaft is hopper-shaped and the heat-transmitting bodies 22 pass from this through a funnel 32 into the drying chamber 10; the lower portion of the hopper is provided with holes 33 through which the gases from the kiln enter into the interior of the shaft., passing through the interstices between the bodies 22 and escaping through a chimney 34.

The form of apparatus shown in Fig. VIII is a modification of that shown in Fig. VII in so far that in the form shown in Fig. VIII a separate shaft heater 31 is provided, in which the foreign bodies 22 are heat-ed by the gases passing from the kiln 1 through the shaft 31 to a chimney 34. In this form too a drying chamber 10 is provided into which the slurry is introduced through the pipe 3, the drying chamber having associated with it a screening device 21 from which the dried material., through a worm conveyor 24, a chamber 25 surroun ding the kiln end, and lifters 27 enters the kiln. From the screening device 21 the heating bodies, by means of shovels or lifters 35, are lifted to a feeding device 36, which takes them into a chamber 37 from which they pass down into a pit 38 and are passed back again to the heater 31 by an elevator 8. The heater 31 is provided with a bottom grate 39 'above a chamber 40 in which may be collected potash and other salts which may be present in the gases from the kiln 1 and will be taken up by the foreign bodies 22 and afterwards shaken loose from them at the grate 39. The material accumulated in this way can be removed from time to time through a door 41 or the like.

The heat-transmitting bodies 22 after having passed the drying drum 10 still retain a considerable quantity of heat, and the purpose of taking them through a separate chamber 37 is to utilize this heat by transmitting the same to air, which is blowninto the bottom ther they must be made of material of of the saine by means of a fan 42, and leaves from the top of the chamber through a pipe 43. Air. having been heated this way may for instance be used to support combustion in a boiler plant or in the burning kiln pro er or for any other suitable purpose. In or er to prevent the access of atmospheric air to the chamber 37 otherwise than through the fan 42 and the outlet pipe 43 the pit 38 may be kept filled with water, thus formin a trap for the outlet opening 44 for the bo ies from the chamber 37 to the pit and for the inlet into the chamber 3l, andit is for this purpose also that the bodies are introduced into the chamher through the feeding device 36.

The apparatus shown in Fig. VIII is so arranged that the bodies 22 before reaching the chamber 37 have all passed through the drying drum 10. However, this is not absolutely necessary, taken directly from the chamber 31 to the chamber 37 so that the drying drum 10 and the air heating device 37 will work in parallelism.

The pit 38 may just as well be kept filled with slurry which will then form a coating on the bodies 22 and consequently, the slurry will be dried to some degree already in the chamber 31 through the direct influence of the hot gases.

as the bodies may also be such apparatus comprjsingaheating chamber external to the kiln to which the heated heattransmitting bodies and the slurry are delivered, means to deliver the heat transmittino` bodies from such chamber to the kiln, an means to deliver the dried raw material from such chamber to the kiln.

3. An a paratus as described in claim 1, in which t e means for mingling the heated heat-transmitting bodies from the kiln with the slurry comprises a pre-heating chamber which encloses the upper end of the kiln.

4. An apparatus as described in claim 1, in which the means for minglin the heated heat-transmitting bodies from t e kiln with the slurry comprises a pre-heating chamber which encloses the up er end of the kiln and is rotatable with the k1 n.

This specification signed this 12th day of November, A. D. 1923.-

JOHAN S. FASTING.

With regard to the heat-transmitting bodies i which constitute one of the elements 1n some of the forms vof apparatus described it is to be remarked that these can to advantage be so shaped that for a certainY volume they have a large surface, but they must always be so shaped that they are not inclined to clog; they may for instance have the form of a pipe; fureat specic heat and great thermal conductivity.

I claim` as my invention:

1. An apparatus for the treatment of i cement-forming-slurry in the manufacture of cement, etc., comprising ing a clinkering and a calcining zone adapted to cause the slurry to move through the kiln from the feeding end. thereof, wherein a iiow of hot gaseous products of combustion is maintained through the kiln in the direction a rotary kiln inolud' of the feeding end, a pre-heating means,

means for heating heat-transmitting bodies by the heat of such products of combustion,

means for introducing slurry into said heating means,means for removing heated heat-transmittin bodies from the heating means, means for min ling in the preheating means the heated eat-transmitting bodies with the slurry to vaporize the moisture contained therein by the heat of such heat-transmitting bodies, means to carry olf the Avapors-so produced, and means for delivering the dried raw material to the calcining zone of the kiln after it has been mingled with the heat transmitting bodies.

2. An apparatus as described in claim 1, 

